Holland America Line is making a strategic shift to year-round European cruising, keeping Nieuw Statendam in the region through winter and early spring for the first time. The move, covering late 2027 into 2028, also includes select voyages on Zuiderdam, significantly expanding the line's off-season presence across Northern Europe and the Mediterranean.
“Europe continues to be one of the most sought-after destinations for our guests, and as a cruise line with Dutch roots, it’s a region we know incredibly well,” said Paul Grigsby, vice president of deployment and itinerary planning. He noted that winter offers a quieter, more immersive side of Europe, from Christmas markets and Lapland to a milder Mediterranean.
Northern Europe Christmas Market Cruises
The Northern Europe program centers on Baltic and Scandinavian Christmas market sailings. Highlights include a 13-day Baltic & Scandinavian Christmas Markets itinerary roundtrip from Rotterdam (or Dover), calling at Kiel for Hamburg’s markets, Tallinn, and Copenhagen, with overnights in Helsinki and Stockholm. The Helsinki call provides access to Lapland in the Arctic Circle. A 15-day Baltic & Scandinavian Christmas Market Holiday voyage adds scenic cruising on the Elbe River, overnights in Hamburg and Copenhagen, calls in Aarhus, and southern Norway ports including Oslo, Kristiansand, Bergen, and Stavanger, plus Hardangerfjord scenic sailing.
These itineraries are designed for guests to explore markets after dark and enjoy seasonal food and drink in a less crowded atmosphere.
Mediterranean Winter and Spring Sailings
After the festive season, Nieuw Statendam shifts to the Mediterranean, offering Western and Eastern Mediterranean routes plus Canary Islands voyages. Key departures include a 15-day Western Mediterranean: Lisbon Overnight (20 Nov 2027) roundtrip Rotterdam, with an overnight in Lisbon plus calls in Cadiz, Barcelona, Valencia, Cartagena, Gibraltar, and Dover. A 14-day Canary Island Enchantment with Morocco & Spain (2 Jan 2028) visits Casablanca, Agadir, multiple Canary Islands, Cadiz, and Malaga. A 10-day Mediterranean Splendor: Spain, France, Italy & Greece (16 Jan 2028) sails from Barcelona to Athens, calling at Valencia, Marseille, Livorno, Civitavecchia, Naples, and Kotor, with scenic cruising in the Strait of Messina. A series of 7- to 10-day Greek Isles & Eastern Med sailings includes ports like Mykonos, Rhodes, Kusadasi, Alexandria (Cairo overnight), Crete, Corfu, and Dubrovnik, with overnights in Athens or Istanbul on select departures.
Guests can choose from 7- to 14-day cruises or combine itineraries into Collectors’ Voyages up to 24 days.
This expansion follows similar moves by other lines, such as Princess Cruises' record 2028 Europe season, reflecting growing demand for off-peak European cruising. Holland America's year-round commitment adds more than 70 extra European port days compared to previous years.
Bookings for the 2027–2028 winter and early spring Europe season are now open via travel advisors and Holland America's website. Travel professionals can filter by ship (Nieuw Statendam or Zuiderdam), region (Northern Europe or Mediterranean), and date range to find Christmas market sailings, Canary Island getaways, or Greek Isles escapes.
